Spike-fork Bulls (Moose)

[The 'Hummer']

I have an out of country trip coming up shortly and later, a Mule Deer hunt on draw in Alberta so I've put my usual Moose hunt on hold for this year. Most of my Moose hunting has been in the northern sectors of area 5 and southern section of 7. Area 5 is all draw although there are openings in 7 for immatures. What suprised me somewhat, as I was going through the reg's, was to see openings further south in area 8 for spike-fork bulls.

[Sharkey]

My friend and I got a spike-fork bull last year on the 24th of September in Region 8. Just outside of Enderby. We've seen lots in reg 8 as well as in reg 3. It's worth the tag to have 'just in case' as we were deer hunting when we got this guy...

[The 'Hummer']

Good deal. That size is my idea of a 'deep freeze' Moose or a perfect 'eater'. It Just suprised me a little that there'd be an opening like that in a more populated southern part of the province like that and nothing in area 5. Oh well, it's not the first thing in life to 'mystify' me.:wink:

[mntman]

a few things you can count on in life death taxes and if you don't have a moose tag they will come, there are good populations in that area

[mark]

I got 1 last year, a week after the season closer I saw another 2 point. The first legal bulls Ive seen in 10 years though! Go figure, 2 weeks in the peace and I got skunked, then a sunday drive in Kelowna and I get a moose?????

[talver]

this is my 2 cents ive found that the first part of the season before the rut or last week of the season before it closes that ive seen smaller bulls around the cows seen 3 spike forks last year took one the other 2 we couldnt tell if they were legal till it was too late to shoot

[The 'Hummer']

this is my 2 cents ive found that the first part of the season before the rut or last week of the season before it closes that ive seen smaller bulls around the cows seen 3 spike forks last year took one the other 2 we couldnt tell if they were legal till it was too late to shoot
All I was saying is that I was amazed there was an opening for them in a more southern provincial area as 8 when the areas traditionally thought of as Moose areas such as 5 has no similar openings.

[3kills]

region 5 had a spike season a few years ago and some people bitched and got it closed after one year

[ratherbefishin]

With the number of hunters only a fraction of what they were 30 years ago-when we had open bull seasons across the province-either the moose population has plunged-or hunter success has risen dramatically resulting in the need for LEH and spike fork regulations.I'm not sure if either is true-but without an LEH draw,it makes it a tough call to decide if its even worth going on a one week hunt to an area where only a spike fork is legal.

My question is-after decades of restricted moose hunting-is the policy working?Are the moose populations increasing like they theoretically should be given no general open bull season and far fewer hunters?My last ''any bull'' draw was 5 years ago[unsuccessful]even in low odds areas.Group hunts didn't help.If we have to have an LEH system,it seems to me we should have some system of guaranteeing one bull for a 2 or 3 group draw every other year,rather than just taking your chances-or is the present system just too big a source of revenue to the province to change it?How many guys simply don't bother going now unless they are local hunters?I don't mind spending the money on transportation if I thought there was a reasonable chance of seeing a legal bull but the restrictions have greatly diminished this opportunity.Again-I'd be happier -if I was assured the current policy was working-and the moose populations were increasing back to historical levels-resulting in an increased harvest opportunity but without accurate data-I really don't know.I don't think the government has given us enough reason for the current restrictions nor have they shown their policies are working

[huntwriter]

My friend and I got a spike-fork bull last year on the 24th of September in Region 8. Just outside of Enderby. We've seen lots in reg 8 as well as in reg 3. It's worth the tag to have 'just in case' as we were deer hunting when we got this guy...

I have seen quite a few moose in region 3 in our hunting area and even more moose sign. I am primarily after deer but purchased a moose tag too just in case I happen to walk upon one, like last year. Unlike last year I have a tag this year. :)

[jml11]

With the number of hunters only a fraction of what they were 30 years ago-when we had open bull seasons across the province-either the moose population has plunged-or hunter success has risen dramatically resulting in the need for LEH and spike fork regulations.I'm not sure if either is true-but without an LEH draw,it makes it a tough call to decide if its even worth going on a one week hunt to an area where only a spike fork is legal.

My question is-after decades of restricted moose hunting-is the policy working?Are the moose populations increasing like they theoretically should be given no general open bull season and far fewer hunters?My last ''any bull'' draw was 5 years agoeven in low odds areas.Group hunts didn't help.If we have to have an LEH system,it seems to me we should have some system of guaranteeing one bull for a 2 or 3 group draw every other year,rather than just taking your chances-or is the present system just too big a source of revenue to the province to change it?How many guys simply don't bother going now unless they are local hunters?I don't mind spending the money on transportation if I thought there was a reasonable chance of seeing a legal bull but the restrictions have greatly diminished this opportunity.Again-I'd be happier -if I was assured the current policy was working-and the moose populations were increasing back to historical levels-resulting in an increased harvest opportunity but without accurate data-I really don't know.I don't think the government has given us enough reason for the current restrictions nor have they shown their policies are working

I think these are good questions and it would be nice to see some numbers and stats. My initial thought is that success rates have gone up due to modern technology and equipment as well an increase in road networks creating better access to moose country. I hunt the PG area locally and have had good success with immature bulls but can see the low appeal of a week long hunt from the lower mainland to an area with only spike forks open. I think that is part of the reason why there is an open calf season in 7A, to draw the non-locals to the area to hunt an open moose season and hopefully stumble across a few two-points in the mean time. I remember a couple of years ago the hunting regs stated that 17% of [U]all moose where two-points! I don't know where they came up with this and I though this was a typo. I figured it should have stated that 17% of bulls are two-points.

I have conversations with friends if they think the rest of the province could sustain similar management to that of the Peace ( two-week any bull season and the rest of the year it would be tri-palm/ten point and spike fork. The general concensus is no as they all feel they could easily get a bull every year and the moose populations couldn't sustain this. Thye also feel that more illegal animals that don't quite make the antler restrictions would be shot and left. I think this where the any bull LEH tag is a benefit. I don't want to start a debate about the many problems with antler restrictions in this thread but it seems if any GOS seasons are implemented on moose, they should be for any bull.

[6616]

I remember a couple of years ago the hunting regs stated that 17% of all moose where two-points! I don't know where they came up with this and I though this was a typo. I figured it should have stated that 17% of bulls are two-points.

When the spike/fork season was under consideration for Region 4 last year we were told that about 50% to 55% of all bulls are yearlings. Of course that does not mean they're all vulnerable during a spike/fork season since many yearling bulls could be three points. Bull/cow ratios varied from 40 to 80 per 100 cows in recent surveys depending on the MU. So it does seem likely that 17% of all moose could be yearlings, but half the yearlings are females and not all the male yearlings would be legal to shoot in a spike/fork season, thus I believe you are right, it does seems highly unlikely that 17% of all moose would be 2 pointers, but I haven't done the math so I'm not sure.

MOE says moose populations are up in most areas in Region 4, and justified the spike/fork proposal based on the fact that yearlings have a high mortaility rate and thus the harvest of spike/fork moose to a large extent replaces natural mortality (called compensatory harvest), and does not add to it (called additive harvest), or impact recruitment rates.

The AAH in Region 4 is 312 moose, up from 252 in 2006, based on updated population estimates derived from recent surveys.

[ratherbefishin]

If my recollection is accurate-there's only supposed to be about HALF the hunters in the field than there were 30 years ago-so even if modern technology and more access has increased the harvest-there's far fewer guys out there hunting moose.Didn't Jimmy Hatter write a book on moose populations in BC? I'd be interested in his conclusions from a professional biologist/game management point of view on the present system,in terms of moose populations/harvest rates including ''miss indentifed ''bulls shot and left.I'd also like to know what the stats are for other than hunter mortality-ie road and train kill, disease, predation, habitat,etc.That might show what percentage of mortality from hunting.I don't know-maybe they are just as happy to see fewer hunters in the field.

[The 'Hummer']

If my recollection is accurate-there's only supposed to be about HALF the hunters in the field than there were 30 years ago-so even if modern technology and more access has increased the harvest-there's far fewer guys out there hunting moose.Didn't Jimmy Hatter write a book on moose populations in BC? I'd be interested in his conclusions from a professional biologist/game management point of view on the present system,in terms of moose populations/harvest rates including ''miss indentifed ''bulls shot and left.I'd also like to know what the stats are for other than hunter mortality-ie road and train kill, disease, predation, habitat,etc.That might show what percentage of mortality from hunting.I don't know-maybe they are just as happy to see fewer hunters in the field.
I'm not sure but in the appendix of his book 'Politically Incorrect' there are a few references to publications of his concerning Moose.

[6616]

If my recollection is accurate-there's only supposed to be about HALF the hunters in the field than there were 30 years ago-so even if modern technology and more access has increased the harvest-there's far fewer guys out there hunting moose.Didn't Jimmy Hatter write a book on moose populations in BC? I'd be interested in his conclusions from a professional biologist/game management point of view on the present system,in terms of moose populations/harvest rates including ''miss indentifed ''bulls shot and left.I'd also like to know what the stats are for other than hunter mortality-ie road and train kill, disease, predation, habitat,etc.That might show what percentage of mortality from hunting.I don't know-maybe they are just as happy to see fewer hunters in the field.

It's true, there are about half the hunters and more moose...there's also more elk and deer.... but regulations have not changed very much. I guess a lot of potential harvestable animals will become wolf food or just plain disappear during the next severe winter kill event!

[ratherbefishin]

so....if the program has been successful in increasing moose numbers ,and there are about half the hunters -why haven't LEH odds improved?